Go ahead, give us a reason to celebrate. I dare you. Just pick something, anything at all --- fruit, airplanes, balloons, jazz, snow --- and we'll throw a party for it. That's just one of our very many talents. Fried dough, anyone?

Lakeside Winter Celebration

Date: mid-February

Place: Ontario Beach Park

Description: games, snow and ice sculpture contests, sleigh rides, "Chilly Chili Challenge," polar plunge in Lake Ontario

Info: 428-7655

Lilac Festival

Dates: May 13-22

Place: Highland Park

Description: 500 varieties of lilacs, live music, activities, food

Info: 256-3070, www.lilacfestival.com

Memorial Day Parade

Dates: May 30

Place: downtown Rochester

Description: parade

Info: 473-0710

East End Night Life Festivals

Dates: June 3, July 8, August 12

Place: East Avenue

Description: bars, clubs and restaurants open on to the street, lots of music and beer

Info: 234-0630, www.milestonesmusicroom.com

Rochester Public Market Centennial Celebration

Dates: June 4-5

Place: Rochester Public Market, 280 North Union Street

Description:

Info: 428-6907, www.cityofrochester.gov

Wegmans Concerts By the Shore

Dates: Wednesdays June 8-August 31

Place: Ontario Beach Park

Description: live concerts

Info: 865-3320, www.cityofrochester.gov

Party in the Park

Dates: Thursdays June 9-August 11

Place: High Falls Festival Site

Description: concerts

Info: 428-6697, www.cityofrochester.gov

Rochester International Jazz Festival

Dates: June 10-18

Place: 15 venues throughout city, including Eastman Theatre, Frontier Field

Description: Over 70 concerts, tens of thousands of fans, international, top-notch acts

Info: 234-2002, www.rochesterjazz.com

Fairport Canal Days

Dates: June 3-5

Place: Main Street (Route 250), Fairport

Description: arts and crafts, food, music, many family activities

Info: www.fairportcanaldays.com

Rochester International Air Show

Dates: June 11-12

Place: Rochester International Airport

Description: US Navy Blue Angels, planes, helicopters, jets

Info: 428-2380, www.rochesterairshow.com

Spencerport Fireman's Carnival

Dates: June 15-18

Place: Spencerport

Description: kiddie parade, grand parade, amusement rides

Info: 352-4771, vil.spencerport.ny.us

Rochester Harbor and Carousel Festival

Dates: June 24-26

Place: Ontario Beach Park, Charlotte

Description: RPO concert, juried arts and crafts, food, activities

Info: 865-3320, www.cityofrochester.gov

Maplewood Rose Festival

Dates: June 18-19

Place: Maplewood Park, Driving Park Bridge and Lake Avenue

Description: roses, Genesee Gorge tours, live music, arts and crafts, kids' entertainment

Info: www.ggw.org/~mna/rose.htm

Gay Pride Celebration

Dates: mid-July

Place: various, including Genesee Valley Park

Description: Upstate New York's largest, with a big picnic and Pride Parade

Info: www.gayalliance.org

Sterling Renaissance Festival

Dates: weekends, July 2-August 14

Place: Sterling, NY

Description: food, drink, street performances, crafts, games --- all in the olde style

Info: 800-879-4446, sterlingfestival.com

N.E.N.A. Family Summer Fest and Carnival

Dates: July

Place: Freddie Thomas Learning Center, 625 Scio Street

Description: rides, activities for adults and kids, "home-grown music and home-grown food"

Info: 544-0140

Hill Cumorah Pageant

Dates: July 8-16

Place: Hill Cumorah, on Route 21, near Palmyra

Description: nightly performance with cast of 600, pyrotechnics, music; presents stories from the Bible and the Book of Mormon

Info: 315-597-5851, www.hillcumorah.org/Pageant/

Corn Hill Arts Festival

Dates: July 9-10

Place: Corn Hill neighborhood, off Exchange Blvd and Plymouth Ave

Description: hundreds of craftspeople, live music, family events, food

Info: 262-3142, www.cornhill.org

Monroe County Fair

Dates: July 13-17

Place: Monroe County Fairgrounds, 2695 E. Henrietta Rd

Description: agricultural exhibits, animals, amusement rides, food, special presentations

Info: 334-4000, www.mcfair.com

MusicFest

Dates: July 16-17

Place: various, including Genesee Valley Park

Description: Free, outdoor concerts, this year featuring Latin and soul

Info: 428-6690, www.rochestermusicfest.com

Festa Italiana

Dates: July 15-17

Place: Italian American Community Center, 150 Marconi Blvd

Description: Italian music, dance, and cultural displays

Info: 594-8882, www.iaccrochester.org

Spencerport Canal Days

Dates: July

Place: arts and crafts, entertainment, food, canoe race

Description: off Union Street, along the Canal, Spencerport

Info: 349-1331, www.ogdenny.com/canaldays

Puerto Rican Festival

Dates: mid-August

Place: Civic Center Plaza, Exchange Blvd

Description: Latino music, food, and culture celebrations

Info: www.prfestival.com

Park Avenue Festival

Dates: August 6-7

Place: Park Avenue from Alexander St to Culver Rd

Description: arts & crafts vendors, live entertainment, food, family fun

Info: www.rochesterevents.com

Clarissa Street Reunion

Dates: August 20

Place: Clarissa and surrounding streets

Description: neighborhood reunion, parade, jazz, gospel, and r&b performances

Info: 234-4177, www.csrc.info

Carifest

Dates: August 13-14

Place: High Falls Festival Site

Description: Caribbean-themed festival and parade

Info: 254-7569

Brockport Summer Art Festival

Dates: August 13-14

Place: Main Street (Route 19), Brockport

Description: arts and crafts, food, live music, rubber duck derby and dragon boat races

Info: www.rochesterevents.com

Penfield Country Fair Days

Dates: August 20-21

Place: Penfield's Four Corners, Rte 441 and Five Mile Line Rd

Description: arts and crafts, entertainment, food

Info: 340-8651, www.penfield.org

Rochester Irish Festival

Dates: September

Place: Camp Eastman, Durand Eastman Park

Description: Irish music, dance, cultural workshops, kids' activities

Info: 234-3746, www.rochesteririshfestival.org

New York State Festival of Balloons

Dates: September 2-4

Place: Dansville, NY

Description: hot air balloon rides, food, entertainment, music, kids' rides

Info: www.nysfob.com

Labor Day Parade

Dates: September 5

Place: Downtown Rochester

Description: parade

Info: 263-2650

Clothesline Arts Festival

Dates: September 10-11

Place: Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Avenue

Description: renowned arts and crafts; MAG's biggest fundraiser

Info: 473-7720, mag.rochester.edu

Oktoberfest

Dates: September 16-18, 23-25

Place: Camp Eastman, Durand Eastman Park

Description: echt Deutsch music, food, and beer

Info: 336-6070, www.irondequoit.org/events/oktober.htm

Festival of Food

Dates: Sept 19

Place: Rochester Public Market

Description: samples from area restaurants, wineries, farmers, and specialty food sellers

Info: 328-3380

Naples Grape Festival

Dates: September 24-25

Place: center of Naples village

Description: grape pie contest, arts and crafts, food, family entertainment, live music

Info: 374-2240, www.naplesvalleyny.com

Rochester River Romance

Dates: October 8-9

Place: various, including Ontario Beach Park

Description: entertainment, lighthouse and boat tours, hikes, rowing regatta

Info: 428-6770, www.cityofrochester.gov

Hilton Apple Festival

Dates: October 1-2

Place: off Route 18, Hilton

Description: arts and crafts, car show, apples raw and cooked, pie contest

Info: 234-3378, www.hiltonapplefest.org

ImageOut

Dates: October 7-16

Place: Cinema, Dryden, and Little Theatres

Description: films by and about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people

Info: 271-2640, www.imageout.org

High Falls Filmfest

Dates: November

Place: Little and Dryden Theatres

Description: Screenings, visiting artists to celebrate women in film

Info: www.highfallsfilmfestival.com